On the PTI plea, the Supreme Court of Pakistan rendered a thorough ruling in the Punjab chief minister election case on Saturday.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan wrote the 10-page verdict, which states that the order is passed based on the unqualified consent of all parties and would amend, modify, and to some extent override the impugned order of the Lahore High Court dated 30.06.2022.
When resolving the three-month-old political and constitutional impasse in the nation’s largest province on Friday, the top court set July 22 as the date for the run-off election for the position of Punjab’s chief minister.
The plea submitted by the PTI contesting the Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling, which was given on Thursday, was heard by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, which also included Justices Ijaz ul Ahsan and Jamal Khan Mandokhel. The bench was presided over by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial.
The PTI had asked the SC to change the LHC ruling so that there would be enough time to host a session of the house and allow members to take part in the election of the Punjab chief minister in a fair and transparent way.
According to the highest court’s ruling from today, a second election for chief minister under the proviso to Article 130(4) of the Constitution is to be place on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 4:00 pm at the Punjab Assembly building, under the supervision of the Deputy Speaker.
Hamza Shahbaz “undertook before the court that he and his cabinet shall exercise the powers and function strictly in a fiduciary capacity as envisaged by the Constitution and the law to support the process of bye-election in the Province to be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner by the Election Commission of Pakistan,” according to the order.
According to the statement, this pledge is made in order to prevent any constitutional gaps, anomalies, or complications as well as to ensure that the people of Punjab have enough representation and governance. However, this entrustment will only last until July 22, 2022, when a second election will be held in accordance with Article 130(4) of the Constitution.
The court also ordered the LHC to provide clear justifications for the reserved seat notice within a week and told the Election Commission to put it into effect right away.
Additionally, it mandated that the July 17 by-elections be conducted in accordance with the ECP’s scheduled schedule in a “free, fair, and transparent manner.”
The court further stated that no new development plans and/or financial allocations shall be made in the constituencies where the bye-election is to be held until the electoral process is complete, along with any transfers or postings of local government, police, or Provincial Election Commission officials.
According to the order, Speaker of the Punjab Legislature Pervez Elahi has categorically promised that all matters pertaining to the assembly’s business would be addressed and dealt with calmly, impartially, and transparently inside the assembly chambers.
